It’s apple-picking season. If you live in the New York City metro area, chances are pretty good that you were at an orchard in northern Westchester County this weekend. At least it seemed that way, with so many people there, picking apples, eating cider donuts, letting the kids run free for a bit.
Here’s a recipe for sour cream apple squares. This is a recipe my mother used to make, and they have an old-fashioned quality to them. Not terribly sweet, they are a moist apple-filled cake (of sorts) atop a crumble-meets-shortbread base. They remind me of a grandmother’s dessert, served to friends with coffee. I actually brought it to a couple of dinner parties a few years back when I was tasked with providing a dessert and others agreed—it has a comforting, warming feel.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Note that although the image below shows that I used a Pyrex baking dish, I suggest avoiding a clear pan so you don’t risk making the crumbly bottom too crisp.
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Sour Cream Apple Squares
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon (I actually use 1/2 tsp, but I’m not crazy about cinnamon)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg
2 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 apples)
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Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together until crumbly. Stir in nuts and press 2¾ cups of the crumb mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan. To the remaining crumb mixture, add baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg. Blend well. Stir in the apples. Spoon the mixture evenly over crumb base.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick (or whatever you have on hand) comes out clean. Try not to overcook. Let cool and cut into squares.
ten kitchens 